Michigan Courts
The Michigan court system includes the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and Trial Courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court of law, while Trial Courts are the lowest, and they are where most cases begin and end. The Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court. Appellate courts are responsible for hearing and reviewing appeals from legal disputes that have already been heard at local trial courts to ensure that the decisions at that level are fair. They do not admit new evidence or try cases all over.
The Michigan Supreme Court has administrative oversight over all other courts in the state. As the apex court, it receives thousands of leave to appeal applications from litigants seeking review of Michigan Court of Appeals decisions. The Supreme Court grants leave to complex litigations and those with a high public significance for further briefing. It determines the rules of practice and procedures in every other court in Michigan. Besides reviewing the Michigan Court of Appeals decisions, the apex court also hears judicial misconduct cases. Seven judges sit on the Michigan Supreme Court, some elected while others are appointed. Legal proceedings typically come before the court between August 1 and July 31 of the following year.
The Michigan Court of Appeals comprises four districts. It is the state's intermediate appellate court, and it hears all appeals from the Michigan Trial Courts and other lower-level courts. A panel of three judges hear cases brought before this court and uphold the application of the law over facts. The four divisions of this court and their locations are:
- District I - Detroit
- District II - Troy
- District III - Grand Rapids
- District IV - Lasing
Hearing holds all-year round in Lansing, Detroit, and Grand Rapids but there is no courtroom in Troy. The Court of Appeal has 24 judges, and they all sit state-wide. The Michigan Court of Claims is a division of the Michigan Court of Appeals in charge of claims over $1,000 instituted against the State of Michigan or its departments.
The Trial Courts in Michigan include the Circuit Courts, District Courts, and Probate Courts. All of these courts have different jurisdictions. Cases already heard by other Trial Courts can be appealed at the Circuit Court. The Court also presides over felony cases and civil cases (with over $25,000 claims). The State of Michigan has 57 Circuit Courts, and their judges are usually elected for a six-year tenure. Residents of Michigan have more contact with the District Courts than any other courts in the state.
A District Court has jurisdiction over civil litigations under $25,000. It also handles most ordinance violations, preliminary trials on felony charges, misdemeanors with sentences less than one year, and landlord-tenant disputes. There are over 100 district courts in Michigan, with 276 district court judges distributed among them. Judges in these courts are elected for six-year terms. The Michigan Probate Courts handle cases relating to estates, trusts, and wills, including their managers. The 107 judges spread across the 78 Michigan Probate Courts are elected for a six-year term of office.
There are also federal courts in the state which exercise judicial authority over federal cases and matters pertaining to federal law and the federal judiciary. Federal appellate courts also hear appeals from the state supreme court.
Each court maintains an administrative office which generates Michigan court records to offer an official account of each hearing. Ultimately, the judicial branch and the executive and legislative branches of the Michigan state government uphold the state's legislation and ensure the administration of justice in the state.
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is Michigan's court of last resort. Established in 1805, this court has seven judges and superintends other courts in the entire state. Judges at the Supreme Court are either appointed or elected to eight-year terms. Cases heard at the Court of Appeal are mostly those from the Michigan Court of Appeal. They also hear judicial misconduct cases and try proceedings of original jurisdiction for writ applications, advisory opinions, and issues relating to the bar and judiciary. The Michigan Supreme Court grants appeal as a matter of discretion.
Michigan Court of Appeals
Founded in 1965, the Michigan Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court between the Michigan Supreme Court and state trial courts. It has four districts with 24 judges spread across the state. Residents have the right to appeal decisions from the final orders of a probate or circuit court to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Hearings usually take place all-year-round in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing before a three-judge panel on a rotational basis. For any decision to be biding at the Court of Appeals, at least two of the three judges must agree. The court considers applications for leave to appeal, primarily interlocutory, and grants appeal as a matter of discretion.
What are Michigan Trial Courts?
The Michigan Trial Court consist of Circuit Courts, District Courts, and Probate Courts:
Michigan Circuit Court
Michigan Circuit Court is a court with general jurisdiction over civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and all felony cases. It handles lawsuits on adoptions, minors’ emancipation, domestic relations, child protective proceedings, and juvenile delinquency. The Family Division of Michigan Circuit Court also hears cases regarding child abuse, paternity, divorce, waiver of parental consent for abortion, name changes, and guardianships that arise from delinquency proceedings, protective proceedings, or domestic relations custody cases. Cases appealed from other trial courts are heard at the Michigan Circuit Court. There are 57 Circuit Courts in Michigan, and judges are elected on non-partisan ballots for six-year office terms.
Michigan District Court
The District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. Residents of Michigan have more interaction with this court than other state courts, earning it the name, people's court. It handles civil litigations with claims under $25,000 and adult criminal misdemeanor offenses. Most criminal cases start from the District Court. The court also hears cases of civil infractions, land contract forfeitures, small claims, landlord-tenant matters, and ordinance violations with a sentence less than one year. Some Michigan cities have Municipal Courts serving as their District Courts. A total of 276 judges share the 105 District Courts in the State of Michigan. They are elected and usually sit in the office for tenures of six years.
Michigan Probate Court
The Michigan probate court is a trial court with limited jurisdiction. The 78 Probate Courts in the state are manned by 107 judges whose responsibility includes hearing cases involving estates, trusts, and the people managing them. The court also handles proceedings regarding guardianships, conservatorships, and protective proceedings. Certain types of cases can be appealed directly to the Michigan Court of Appeals from the Probate Court.
What are Appeals and Court Limits in Michigan?
An appeal is simply a request filed with a higher court to examine a lower court's decision. The process allows a person or entity who has lost in a lower court decision to have their case re-heard in a higher court, otherwise known as the appellate court. All types of cases are appealable in Michigan, but the most common ones are civil and criminal cases. Congress and the United States Constitution place limits on the authority and jurisdiction of courts in the U.S. The same restraints apply to the various levels of Michigan Courts.
Initiating an appeal involves the appellant filing a claim stating that the lower court made legal errors and that its decisions should be reversed. A request for appeal made in Michigan may go through appellate courts up to Michigan Supreme Court or even the United States Supreme Court. Filing an appeal, however, depends on the lower court, whose decision is being contested.
Decisions on cases at the District Courts can be appealed at the Circuit Court. However, a lawsuit heard before a magistrate can be appealed in the same court where such a magistrate serves. The appellant will do this by filing a written claim of appeal within seven days of the magistrate's decision.
The Michigan Court of Appeals is the appellate court for Probate Court and Circuit Court cases. The rules applicable to the Michigan Court of Appeals are contained in MCR 7.201 through 7.219. Hearings usually hold in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Marquette before panels of three Court of Appeal judges. A minimum of two out of the three judges must agree to decide on an appealed case. Six judges sit on the Michigan Court of Appeals and are rotated periodically for appeals filed with the court.
The Michigan Supreme Court serves as the appellate court for decisions taken at the Court of Appeals. It is the highest court in the State of Michigan. Generally, an appellant must take some steps within the time frame stipulated by the court rules to avoid dismissal of an appeal. An appeal is completed once the court releases an opinion or order deciding the case.
How Do I Find My Case Number in Michigan?
A case number is a unique reference designated by the court to differentiate a criminal or civil case from others. It usually identifies the year a court case was filed, the judicial officer that filed it, and the office in which it was filed. The first step to take when presenting a case for filing is the assignment of a case number.
To find a Michigan case number, interested persons may use the MiCOURT Case Search and provide their names in the search field. Such persons should enter their names in full without a comma and then click the submit button. This search portal can provide details on traffic, domestic, civil, criminal, and probate cases. Juvenile and delinquency cases are also available through this portal. The requesters can fetch their case numbers from the result page at the end of the search. Alternatively, interested individuals can obtain their case numbers in Michigan by contacting the court of records. However, some nominal fees may apply for such searches.
Does Michigan Hold Remote Trials?
The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in Michigan in early 2020 shut judges out of courtrooms and has since taken most legal proceedings online. Meanwhile, just before the breakout of COVID-19, the Michigan Supreme Court had commissioned Zoom for almost 200 courthouses to conduct remote trials. Zoom offers internet video conferencing technology that serves many big corporations. This internet technology came in helpful with the pandemic, but it is rather a whole different experience.
Remote hearings using Zoom have helped reduce case build-ups. Although there has been adjournment of some trials, hearings are now generally being conducted faster. To ensure public participation in court proceedings, the Michigan Supreme Court launched a virtual courtroom directory where court hearings are live-streamed on YouTube. Interested persons can locate courtrooms by county or watch live proceedings from their current locations at the comfort of their homes or offices. Not everyone seems to embrace remote trials, but authorities are optimistic that Zoom hearings will be an ongoing routine in some cases, even after the coronavirus pandemic is over. Besides this virtual arrangement, some courts now conduct jury trials in open spaces or large halls to comply with the government safe distancing directive.
